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| 31st Army (1941–1945) | |
|---|---|
| 31-я армия | |
| Active | 15 July 1941 – September 1945 |
| Disbanded | September 1945 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Red Army |
| Type | Combined arms |
| Size | Field Army |
| Part of | Moscow Military District Reserve Front Western Front Kalinin Front 3rd Belorussian Front 1st Ukrainian Front |
| Engagements | Battle of Moscow Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive Rzhev-Sychevka Strategic Offensive Smolensk Strategic Offensive Vitebsk Offensive Operation Bagration Gumbinnen Operation East Prussian Offensive Prague Operation |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | See List |
The31st Army (Russian: 31-я армия)was a field army of theRed Army during theSecond World War.
The army was formed on 15 July 1941 in theMoscow Military District. It was ordered to create a defensive line alongOstashkov -Selizharovo -Rzhev. The army was stationed between the27th Army to the north and the49th Army to the south.
The 31st Army initially included:
On 1 August 1941, it was assigned to theReserve Front, and added the following units:[1]
The army was transferred to theReserve Front on 30 July 1941 and the defensive line was shifted along Ostashkov - Yeltsy - Tishina River. It entered combat on 2 October 1941. At that time, the army was composed of:[2]
The 31st Army first engaged the Germans on 2 October 1941 duringOperation Typhoon. On 6 October, units of the army were formed a task force under the command of Major GeneralVitaly Polenov [ru], and along with a task force from19th Army under the command of Lieutenant GeneralIvan Boldin, were ordered to break the German advance onVolokolamsk andRzhev. On 7 October, the first snow fell, turning the roads into mud and forcing the3rd Panzer Group's advance to a halt. The snowy conditions allowed the army to set up defensive positions along the Zhuravlyovo − Bolshoye Yakovtsevo − Ivashkovo line and form a corridor for retreating Soviet units. This began the Kalinin Defensive Operation phase of theMoscow Strategic Defensive operations.
On 10 October, the 110th Tank Division was detached and ordered to Rzhev.
On 19 October, the army was reduced to:
From 19 to 22 October, the army fought against a German group that had broken through into theMednoye region. The army received the113th [ru] and252nd Rifle Divisions as reinforcements. On 22 October, the army was ordered to go on the offensive with the29th and30th Armies to liberate the city ofKalinin. While unable to retake the city, the offensive drew off a number of German forces from Moscow.
On 5 December, as part of theMoscow Strategic Offensive, theKalinin Front began theKalinin offensive [ru]. Overcoming stubborn resistance and repeated counterattacks, the 29th and 31st Armies had encircled the German forces occupying Kalinin by 15 December, and on 16 December, the 31st Army liberated the city.
On 7 January 1942, troops of the 39th, 29th, 31st and 30th Armies reached the prepared defensive lines north of Rzhev nearLotoshino.
From 8 January 8 to 20 April, the army participated in theRzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive. On 20 April, the army moved into defensive positions east ofZubtsov.
On 23 July, the army was assigned to theWestern Front and took part in theBattle of Rzhev from 30 July to 23 August, liberating Zubstov on 23 August.
From 25 November to 20 December, the army participated inOperation Mars.
On 20 March 1943, the army crossed theDnieper River, despite the complications of the spring thaw breaking up the river's ice. On 22 March, the army attempted to go on the offensive in the direction ofSafonovo andYartsevo, but was unable to break through the German defenses, and by the end of March, the commander decided to stop the offensive and go on the defensive.
The composition of the army as of 1 August 1943 was:[3]
On 7 August, the army went on the offensive duringOperation Suvorov, part of theSmolensk Strategic Offensive. The army achieved only a limited advance on the German lines. After repelling multiple German counterattacks, the offensive was suspended on 11 August. After regrouping its forces, the army resumed the offensive on 16 August. However, the forces were unable to advance even a mile and the offensive was again suspended on 20 August.
The army resumed the offensive on 30 August. During the day, the army advanced approximately 400 meters; in the evening, the German troops began to withdraw. The Soviet pursuit of the German forces began at dawn of 31 August with the crossing of the riverVopets [ru]. By evening, the army liberated 90 settlements, including the village of Safonovo. After a week of retreating, the German forces managed to consolidate a defensive line near Yartsevo. On 7 September, the army went on the defensive.
The offensive was resumed on 15 September, crossing theVop River. In conjunction with the5th and68th Armies, the army liberatedSmolensk on 25 September.[4]
From February to March, the army participated in theBrest Offensive.
By the start ofOperation Bagration, the army consisted of:[5]
Assigned to the3rd Belorussian Front, the army participated in the offensive against German forces in theMinsk Offensive, encircling a group of German forces. In addition to the 31st Army, the2nd Belorussian Front's33rd,49th and50th Armies were ordered to contain the German forces within the encirclement and defeat German groups in the surrounding area.
The elimination of the German forces escaping from the city occurred in three phases:
By the end of the summer, the 3rd Belorussian Front and the 31st Army had reached the border ofEast Prussia.[6]
The army took part in theEast Prussian Offensive under the command of the 3rd Belorussian Front. In early April, army was transferred to the1st Ukrainian Front to participate in thePrague Offensive.
By the end of the war, the army was composed of:[7]
The army was disbanded in early September 1945.
Marchand, Jean-Luc. Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2. The Nafziger Collection, 24 Volumes
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